Category: Human Rights

Most people know George Soros as one of the most successful investors in the history of the U.S. financial markets where he has built one of the most respected hedge fund management companies in the world with more than $30 billion in assets currently being managed. Forbes explains the early life of George Soros sets him apart from many other Wall Street billionaires as Soros was stranded in Hungary during World War II under the occupation of Nazi Forces who Soros was forced to hide his Jewish faith from with a new identity; a refugee journey to London after the War ended and paying his way through the London School of Economics as a waiter and porter have also given Soros a real world view of how the world truly is for those living on the farthest margins of society. Read this story at Politico.com about George Soros.

Living a difficult life as a young person has had a great effect on George Soros as once his own financial future was secure in the 1970s following the establishment of Soros Fund Management in 1969 decided to use some of his wealth to assist others in the world. The Open Society Foundations was founded by Soros in 1984 and reports the billionaire has given an estimated $12 billion in funding to the Foundations and a number of other independent groups who reflect his own left leaning ideology. A major influence on the life and career of George Soros has been the work of philosopher Karl Popper who he studied under at the London School of Economics; Popper’s book “The Open Society and It’s Enemies” has been a major influence on the philanthropic and political work of George Soros that includes the revelation that no political ideology has the right to be called the ultimate protector of truth. Learn more about his profile at Forbes.com

Soros has taken the work of Popper on the open society and allowed it to become such a major part of his life that he even named The Open Society Foundations charitable network after the philosophical ideals of his former mentor. The right to basic human rights takes many forms in the view of George Soros, including the right to make personal choices on political ideology and education that are often taken away from millions of people trapped in what are often termed closed societies. Soros himself fought to help topple many governments in the former Soviet Eastern Bloc, including a number of educational programs dedicated to helping those who know little about the democratic process. Soros believes access to healthcare and the best possible medical treatments should always be available that has seen him become one of the first and leading backers of the push to legalize medical marijuana across the U.S.

Thor Halvorssen is a world famous human rights activist. He is the founder of the Human Rights Foundation. Based in New York City, the organization promotes freedom of speech, expression and democracy in every country of the world. The HRF or Human Rights Foundation has become one of the leading non profit organizations around the world that fight on the behalf of political prisoners and human rights in oppressive countries. Thor Halvorssen has meanwhile become the face of the human rights movement across the globe. His name and face is also the scourge of many dictators and oppressive regimes.

What Is Mr. Halvorssen’s Background?

Thor Halvorssen was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. He comes from a well do to elite family. His ancestors include the chief Norwegian consul in Venezuela who opposed the Nazis during World War II and actively fought against them while being stationed in Venezuela during the war. His mother is of Spanish descent. She claims to be a descendant of Simon Bolivar, who helped overthrow Spanish colonial rule in South America. She also claims to be a descendant of the first Venezuelan president, Simon Cristobal.

Fighting against tyranny and on behalf of democracy is found in Thor Halvorssen’s bloodline. He attended college in the United States, studying at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. There he would quickly become a leading campus figure who would highlight the abuses of human rights happening around the world.

What Is Some Of The Work Thor Halvorssen Does?

Thor Halvorssen’s Human Rights Organization sponsors a yearly conference on human rights and freedom called the Oslo Freedom Forum. It takes place in Oslo, Norway. The event has become the top event on the subject of oppression of rights and features defectors and human rights activist from all over the globe as speakers.

Mr. Halvorssen publicly challenges dictatorial regimes such as those found in Venezuela right now. He issues press releases and put pressure on regimes to release political prisoners. Thor has appointed and stands behind Garry Kasparov as chairman of the Human Rights Foundation. Kasparov is a strong opponent of the crackdown of Vladimir Putin against journalists and political opponents.

Thor Halvorssen shoots straight. All the man has ever cared about his equality and justice. The greatest obstacle to worldwide equality and justice, in Thor Halvorssen’s eyes, is centralized authoritarian power. He founded the Human Rights Foundation to fight the unilateral power of dictators throughout the world, and he is inspired by the actions of his own family.

Both of his parents were politically active and his father was captured by the socialist dictator of Venezuela, jailed, tortured and kept unjustly until humanitarian groups worked for his release. His mother was famously shot at a political protest voicing her opinion. This family history inspires Thor in his inexhaustible quest for justice around the world.

It was strange to see Thor Halvorssen on Fox news recently for a three minute interview about socialism. It didn’t even look like Thor Halvorssen knew that the interview would be about socialism. The interview went awkwardly as Fox News tried to pander to viewers by slamming socialism as evil, as an engine that automatically violates human rights. But according to this Huffington Post article, Thor Halvorssen does not care about political affiliations. All he cares about is justice.

He quickly retorts, saying that socialism, especially the democratic socialism that Bernie Sanders touts, is not evil. It is not something that violates human rights on its own. It is a form of government that can be driven for the good of all people or can be used as a weapon to commit humanitarian crimes. The Fox News anchor wasn’t having it.

Even the normally cool and collected Thor Halvorssen has a breaking point. He reached his at about the two-minute mark when he revealed his support for Bernie Sanders, saying he gave $2700 through the Bernie Sanders website. If Fox News was going to be reductive about socialism, he had to prove a quick and vital point — that even he, a world-famous human rights activist, supports the Democratic Socialist senator from Vermont. Fox News viewers must have come away confused. Follow Thor on Twitter to keep up with his involvement with the campaign for Human Rights.